Always ready to take a risk with style, Janelle Monáe relied on some edgy style inspiration when choosing an outfit for the 2022 BET Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles, attending the awards show in a sheer black skirt and a leather harness top. And the 36-year-old singer-actor has used radical fashion choice as a response to the current climate around women’s rights to their own bodies.
Styled by Alexandra Mandelkorn, Monáe – who recently went non-binary, clarifying that they use the pronouns she/her and they/them – wore a black Roberto Cavalli dress with a flowing sheer skirt held up by a black leather harness. The harness, which featured silver hardware and a large black rose in the center, was layered over a bandeau-style velvet top. Monáe paired the look with black open toe platform heels.
Janelle Monáe attends the 2022 BET Awards on June 26 in Los Angeles,
Michael Buckner for Variety
The star wore their blonde locks in a high, curly bun, which was wrapped in a black cord, with a singular thin braided piece hanging from the back of her neck. They wore silver spike earrings, a collection of silver and black bracelets, and chunky silver rings. Monáe also painted their fingernails a metallic silver color.
According to Monáe’s stylist, the edgy look was partly a sartorial response to the Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion after nearly 50 years. Mandelkorn posted photos of the look on social media, captioning the post, “It goes, ‘My body, my choice.'”
Janelle Monáe attends the 2022 BET Awards on June 26 in Los Angeles.
Michael Buckner for Variety
While presenting an award on the show, Monáe also referenced the current climate around the rights of those who were assigned female at birth, advocating for bodily autonomy and access to care. health.
“I would like to give a special, special shout out to Black of women, to Black queer artists, non-binary black artists. [We are] making art on our own terms, owning our truths, and expressing ourselves freely and unapologetically in a world that tries to control and control our bodies – my body – and our decisions – my decisions,” Monáe said, ending the statement by an expletive addressed to the Supreme Court during the live broadcast.
Janelle Monáe attends the 2022 BET Awards on June 26 in Los Angeles,
Michael Buckner for Variety
The BET Rewards celebrate the achievements of musicians, actors, athletes and more in various fields of entertainment. The first BET Awards were held in 2001 to celebrate black culture and black excellence. Taraji P. Henson is the host of this year’s show with performances from Lizzo, Latto and Jack Harlow. Major nominations include Doja Cat with six nods, Ari Lennox and Drake with four nods each.
See the celebrity red carpet arrivals for the 2022 BET Awards
